Naughty Dog Reveals More Intergalactic Details

Summary

Naughty Dog’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is set 2,000 years in the future in an alternate timeline that deviated from the 1980s.
Director Neil Druckmann has hinted that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet could feature more open-ended storytelling with less hand-holding than prior Naughty Dog games.
Druckmann may have alluded to a somewhat distant release window for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has unveiled some new details about the studio’s next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. One of these fresh tidbits of information may also hint at Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet‘s release window, which hasn’t been officially confirmed yet.

Formally revealed at The Game Awards 2024, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is the first new IP from Naughty Dog since 2013’s The Last of Us. In a dramatic tonal shift from Naughty Dog’s prior work, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet adopts a space-faring sci-fi aesthetic and supposedly features the studio’s most ambitious story and deepest gameplay mechanics yet. It’s only been a few months since Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was announced, but many Naughty Dog fans are clamoring to learn more about it.

Naughty Dog Calls Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet a ‘Franchise’

Official information confirms Naughty Dog’s upcoming title, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, is being developed as more than a standalone game.

A new Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet trailer is most likely a ways off, but for the time being, Naughty Dog president Neil Druckmann has sprinkled some new details about the sci-fi game in a recent Sony Creator to Creator video. Speaking with 28 Days Later writer Alex Garland, Druckmann confirmed that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet takes place 2,000 years in the future in an alternate timeline which deviated from this one in the 1980s. Druckmann also acknowledged the story decisions many fans found controversial in The Last of Us Part 2, and joked that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet aims to pump the brakes in that regard by focussing on “faith and religion” instead.

Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet May Look to One of The Best Games Ever Made For Storytelling Inspiration

Speaking of which, Druckmann said that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet‘s story would be centered around the rise of a mysterious religion, the history and timeline of which have apparently warranted “years” of work from Naughty Dog. Unlike the studio’s prior titles, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet won’t feature a companion for protagonist Jordan, as Druckmann wants players to feel “lonely” in the game’s universe. Interestingly, Druckmann cited Half-Life 2 and the Monkey Island games as his favorite examples of storytelling, specifically adding how the iconic Valve shooter trusts the player to understand its story with minimal hand-holding. This likely implies that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet‘s storytelling approach will be more open-ended than previous Naughty Dog games.

Lastly, Druckmann stated that Naughty Dog still has “a ways to go” for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, possibly hinting at a somewhat distant release window. Some fans did find clues alluding to a 2027 release window in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet‘s reveal trailer, while others continue to be hopeful of a 2026 launch. If Naughty Dog does plan to release Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in 2026, a new trailer should debut later this year, but if not, then fans should strap in for a two-year wait.